


Heart Shaped Holograms

by Metalbendersofficial



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, It's pretty fluffy, please just take this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25603078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metalbendersofficial/pseuds/Metalbendersofficial
Summary: a series of one-shots about my favorite girls
Relationships: Kuvira/Opal (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 98





	Heart Shaped Holograms

Opal was in the meditation garden, it’s rarely patrolled by the guards. She just wants a place to read her new book, where she couldn’t hear the boys’ power disc game, and this was the farthest away she could be without hearing the annoying sound of the game or the guards’ uniforms clanking as they walk by. 

Everything was too noisy for her liking, even the wooden bench she was sitting on, groaning at the slightest shift. 

She had to have read the same sentence five times, she just couldn’t focus for some reason. She takes a candy out of her pocket and pops it in her mouth, satisfied with the soft strawberry flavor. 

“Your teeth are going to fall straight out.” Opal can hear the smirk in Kuviras’ voice, not because her joke is funny,  _ because it isn’t _ , but because she had successfully scared the younger girl. She was in a plain white tank top and pants from her guards’ uniform, which signaled to her that Kuvira just finished her rounds. A bruise near the corner of her mouth was healing, but slowly. Her stomach turns as the memory of the other woman's injury flashes by.

Opal gives a resigned sigh as Kuvira takes a seat on the ground beside her, asking her why she doesn’t just sit with her on the bench. 

“I can tell the noise that it makes frustrates you.” She makes small movements with her hands, manipulating the dirt underneath her. “That and I just want to be on the ground for a minute. Do you know how often I get to sit while I patrol?” 

It was a rhetorical question, but still, Opal poked the platypus-bear. “Every time I see you on guard duty you’re sitting down, ‘Vira.” 

Kuvira shoots her an indignant look, ready to open her mouth when Opal interrupts her; “So sorry,  _ Captain _ ‘Vira.” She puts emphasis on the fake apology.

“I’ll have you know I take pride in my stamina, thank you very much. Half of the guards are here on their bending prowess alone. At least I have muscle behind me.” She flexes one of her toned arms proudly. Opal feels her mouth dry involuntarily at the display.

“Okay, I get it, you’re strong.” She pushes the other woman's arm down, embarrassed by the heat that spreads to her face as she feels the muscles tense and shift to her demand. “Now will you leave me alone, I was trying to read.” She opens the book to a random page, hoping that Kuvira would just be quiet and take the hint. 

She doesn't though. Or maybe she just doesn’t care. 

Annoying Opal was her favorite hobby, after all. 

Kuvira shifts her position, centering herself in front of the other girl, reaching backward and taking the book from her in a single swift motion. 

“What are we reading?” Opal can hear her laugh as she leans forward, trying not to let her grab the book back. There was something comforting about having the smaller girl pressing against her back, feigning attempts to grab her property back.

There was more than enough time for Kuvira to read some of the things in there, and Opal guesses that the words had processed rather quickly, judging by a soft gasp followed by “ _ Spirits _ , Opal...This is the book you picked up the other day?” 

Kuvira closes the book, leaning back slowly so Opal wouldn't be hurt, satisfied to hear the creak of the old wood. She closes her eyes and leans her head against the other girl's thigh, letting her play with the loose strands of hair that had parted from her braid. She feels happy. 

At peace.

Suyin had once told the girls that they should never be afraid to feel their feelings, but there was a single, embarrassing emotion that threatened to swallow her completely. 

“Hey, Opal?” Her voice is unusually soft, her eyes still closed. “Can I ask you something?”

She feels her heart pounding in her chest, she could just not ask this question, she could just stop talking. 

Opal makes a small noise that Kuvira takes as a yes, feeling her hair be shaken from its braid by the other girl. 

“Do you remember what happened in town the other day?” 

***

When Kuvira told Suyin she was taking the kids to town she thought the other woman was going to explode with joy. Between the next week of meetings for Su, plus Bataar Jr and Seniors new projects, the kids were feeling a bit thrown to the wayside. 

“Boys,” Su offers a pointed look at her twins, “You listen to what Kuvira says. No arguing!” Kuvira watches Wing and Wei cross their arms, muttering promises to her. 

She reminds Huan that she’s going to commission him soon, so he might want to pick up more paints and brushes. Kuvira sees him bow to his mother, excusing himself to go get a satchel to carry his things. 

Kuvira watches Su pull Opal to the side, talking in a hushed voice. She realizes she’s not meant to hear what’s being said, so she busies herself with annoying the two youngest, poking and teasing them, holding the fact that she’s in charge over their heads. The two boys giggle at the good-natured teasing, trying to swat at her hands. 

The three continue until Opal makes their way to them, the boys still laughing softly. When Huan arrives a few minutes later, the group says their farewell, Su reminding them all one last time that Kuvira is in charge. 

“If you’re in charge, why are you in plain clothes?” Wing asks, taking the dark green fabric of her shirt between his fingers. Opal thought the casual look was rather handsome on the other girl, she always hated how her uniforms helmet hid her jawline. She feels the heat creep into her face at the thought, thankful that everyone was focused on something else. 

“Because technically I’m not at work right now. That and-” She takes Wings’ head in the crook of her arm, rubbing her knuckles against his head. “if I threaten to kick your ass, then it doesn’t look as bad.” 

Everyone laughs at them, happy to see that Kuvira is still feeling like part of the family. For the longest time, she wouldn’t even admit that she was fond of any of them. 

The tram ride to the city is short, the twins discussing what shops they favor this time around. Opal talks to Huan about his problems with oil-based paint, reassuring the artist that everyone needs practice at something. Kuvira reminds them that she’ll be at either the public pai sho boards or at Lee’s tea shop, should they need her. 

-

About four hours pass before Kuvira spots Wing and Wei. The boys find her near the park’s public boards, sitting on the short wall of the nearby garden, and ask if they can treat her to lunch. She gives them a gentle smile, thanking them for the offer, telling them that she’s happy to sit and listen to the sparrowkeets. 

Kuvira chuckles to herself as they walk away, it always looks like they bounce when they walk. 

All of the time alone gave her plenty of time to think.

At first, it was all business. Which guards requested new rotations, the few guards who scheduled vacations. She remembers there was a guard who privately requested maternity leave, almost begging her not to tell anyone, to tell everyone that she was going on a long trip to Kyoshi Island. She approved it, of course, even giving her a small raise from her own pocket until the guard leaves.

She wasn’t heartless. Not anymore. 

Her thoughts shift to the group she came to town with.  _ My family. _ Her stomach used to tighten at the word, but now it’s replaced with a pleasant hum in her chest. The Beifongs  _ are  _ her family. They tolerated her self-destructive nature for years, helping her improve herself bit by bit, almost without her noticing.

The quiet afternoons with Huan, learning how to paint with his gentle guidance. She remembers the day he challenged her to use only her favorite color to create a piece of art for Su. The soft praise sang over her shoulder as she used the shades of yellow to create a rough portrait of her adoptive parents. 

Wing and Wei loved hearing her read them stories underneath the big tree that they had all planted with their grandmother, their favorite stories were the ones with plenty of characters for Kuvira to voice.

The evenings she spent with Opal on the banks of nearby rivers watching the family of turtle ducks that seemed to grow up with them. 

_ Opal _ . She can feel her chest tighten in an unfamiliar way, it was uncomfortable, but not wholly unwelcome. She could work through these feelings right now or at least try to. Kuvira had always held a special fondness for Opal, it was different than how she felt about the boys. 

She didn’t get much time to think, the girl in question was walking in her direction, a stack of books piled high in her arms. 

Kuvira makes her way over to her, taking half of the books and tucking them under her arm.

“Thanks, ‘Vira.” She exhales her appreciation. “I’ve been carrying those through the shop for hours.” 

“Are these all for you? There are a few... interesting choices in here.” She cocks an eyebrow as she reads the title of a slim novel with a rather suggestive cover. “You know I can’t let Su’s darling girl read  _ ‘Ties That Bind’ _ .” 

She laughs as Opal blushes, satisfied to have made it back to her spot on the low wall. 

Kuvira shrugs, muttering something about having a more active imagination than whoever wrote those books.

There’s a comfortable silence as Opal situates herself, leaning her back against Kuvira’s arm and opening one of her more family-friendly books. 

She wants to protest at the position, but she secretly loved being used as a recliner. She closes her eyes and listens to the birds, thinking that this is probably the closest she’ll ever get to meditation. 

“Mrs. Beifong?” A man’s voice calls in their direction and Kuvira feels Opal stiffen against her. This was enough to put her on guard, sitting up straight and putting her hands at her sides. 

She sees a younger man approaching them, far too confidently for Kuviras taste, eyes set on the younger girl. 

“Oh, spirits no.” Opal turns her head, hoping that if she ignores him he’ll go away. “This boy won’t stop following me.” 

“I can fix that,” Kuvira says, tossing an arm around her shoulder and chest, drawing her closer. “But you’re going to have to trust me and play along.” She can feel Opal nod against her cheek, relaxing against her again. 

As the young man approaches she makes out more of his features, mumbling a joke about having more facial hair than him. Opal snorts at the poor attempt at humor, telling her that she also had more personality than him. His brow is furrowed in confusion, it’s obvious to her that he was off-put by the contact the two shared. 

“Mrs. Beifong, I hope I’m not interrupting,” There’s a particular venom to the last word, she watches his mood sour further by giving him a small smirk. “I was wondering if you’d like to have tea with me sometime this week?” His tone is hopeful and, for just a second, Kuvira actually regrets having to break this boy’s heart. 

She lets Opal take the lead, happy to corroborate any lie she came up with. 

“Oh I’d love to, but we’re pretty busy this week.” Opal grabs the arm wrapped around her, giving Kuvira a gentle squeeze. “Right sweetie?” 

Her heart jumps into her throat at the name, but she keeps her cool.

"This week and the next.” She confirms, trying to give him a look that conveys sympathy. “Sorry.” 

He shakes his head like he’s trying to rid himself of a bad memory, moving to take a seat next to Opal. Kuvira presses the palm of her free hand into the walls concrete, causing the once smooth surface next to Opal to become jagged and bumpy. He jumps back, face flushing with anger.

“If you’ll just let me talk to her-” He steps toward Kuvira, standing up straighter in an effort to look more formidable. “Just let me-”

Kuvira breaks her embrace with Opal, already regretting the loss of the contact, standing face to face with the boy. 

“I don’t think I will.” Her voice borders on cocky as she makes a circular motion with her palm facing downward, spinning the earth underneath him, forcing him to turn around. 

Her mistake is underestimating his willingness to fight back.

He spins around as quickly as he’d been turned, swinging hard in the general direction of Kuvira’s face and catching her at the corner of her lip. He’s satisfied to see her stagger backward, regretting his decision as soon as she regained her footing. 

Kuvira hadn’t been in a good old-fashioned fistfight in a while and she was eager to use the training dummy in front of her.

She wouldn’t get the opportunity. 

Opal had moved silently between them, putting her own safety at risk. Kuvira knows that she would never hurt the girl and she would put money down that this boy wouldn’t either. 

“Look,” Kuvira had never heard Opal’s voice so forceful, “Even if you didn’t hit my girlfriend, you don’t listen! Why would I want to go out with someone who doesn’t listen?” She pauses for just a moment as he stumbles over words stuck in his throat. 

“And you’ve been following me all day! I don’t want to go out with creepy stalker boys!” 

Kuvira puts her hand on Opal’s lower back, letting her know that her support system is still behind her, the word  _ girlfriend  _ still echoing in her ears. They both watch his jaw tighten as he tries to think of his response. Kuvira opens her mouth to speak and watches something in the boys’ eyes break. 

By the time that he’s cocked his arm back for another swing, he’s flung backward by a blast of wind, pushed almost fifteen feet back. Kuvira feels Opal’s back pressed against her, her arm still outstretched in the boys’ direction.

“Opal did you-” For the first time in ages her words actually escape her, her thoughts running in a thousand different directions. “Are you...You’re an airbender?” 

The other girls’ eyes are wide, mouth hanging open. The boy falls over his own feet trying to scramble away from them, yelling obscenities Kuvira is sure are aimed at the two. 

Kuvira takes her by the shoulder and turns her to look at her. Her usually bright green eyes were clouded by panic, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. 

“Hey, you’re okay. You’re okay, I promise, I’m right here.” Kuvira brings Opal into her chest, her heart tightening at the heavy sob that escapes the other girl. “I know you’re scared, but we’re going to go find the boys and go home, okay?” 

The small nod into her chest tells her it’s okay to let go. She holds Opals hand, giving her the book she was reading and scooping up the rest in her free arm. 

*** 

“Do we really have to talk about that?” Opal asks, running her fingers through Kuvira’s hair. “I’m an airbender, big deal.” 

The flippancy in her tone makes Kuvira laugh. “Yes, you’re an airbender and there are only about five in the world, big deal right?” She could just not- “I wanted to talk about how we were pretending to be a couple.” Her words were in the wind now. She couldn’t take them back.

There’s a small choking noise behind her, “Oh that. That…” She coughs in a mock attempt to clear her throat. “You make a good fake girlfriend, Vira.” Opal tugs on her hair in a way that says  _ ‘look at me’ _ , so she does. 

Kuvira tilts her head back, feeling a pit in her stomach as she makes eye contact. Opal runs her thumb over the bruise on Kuviras’ mouth, making her wince. She settles her hand on her jaw, both too nervous to speak. “I wouldn’t...mind if…” Kuvira starts her sentence and fails to finish it, too embarrassed to continue. 

Only seconds pass, but they feel like an eternity. 

“You know we can’t.” Opal whispers.

Kuvira faces forward, pressing her hands into her face, unbothered by the pain in her mouth. It was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. 

She gets on her feet, still facing away from the other girl. The crushing sadness that consumes her has the real threat of spilling tears, but she can’t afford the other guards seeing her like this. 

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. 

“I need to go. Enjoy your book.” The crack in her voice gives her away. The telltale creek of the bench lets her know Opal has moved. She doesn’t bother to turn around, satisfied to move forward with her eyes still closed. If it came down to it she could use her seismic sense to find out where she was.

She wouldn’t need to.

The hand that presses into her chest tells her to stop, the comforting pressure tells her to stay still. The sad smile she wears only lasts a second before their lips crash together.

The hand on her chest grabs at her shirt, balling up the fabric and trying to pull her closer. 

Kuvira matches the energy, putting her hand on Opal’s hip and pulling her closer. 

The kiss is desperate, like there are thousands of unspoken words pouring from both of them poured into it. And there are.

Every look of longing, every intentional brushing of hands, each glance stolen at those formal events they both hated. 

When they finally break apart, there’s an air of understanding between them. 

_ ‘Just because we shouldn’t doesn’t mean we can’t.’ _

“You taste like those awful strawberry candies.” Kuvira laughs.

Opal buries her head in the other girl’s chest, giving her a soft slap. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think please!


End file.
